So there is this big ugly spider living on my back porch.
It is kinda grey/brown and weaved two webs, one messy and another very orb standard type.
Is it weird that as the weather got cold, I find myself wondering and caring if she is going to make it through the winter?
= new reply since forum marked as read
What state are you in?
Does it have striped legs?
Does it have a mottled back?
Is there an orange spot on its belly?
Not all brown widows look alike. But generally they look like this:
If it is a brown widow, trust me, you DO want to kill it, and destroy any egg sacs. They multiply rapidly.
They are poisonous, in fact their venom is more toxic than that of the black widow, but they generally inject much less of the venom, so a bite is not as dangerous as with a black widow. The egg sac is a spiky white ball about the size of a pea. The spikes on it identify it as a brown widow egg sac. If it is a brown widow, destroy it with a bug spray for spiders, and incinerate the egg sac with a blowtorch. They multiply rapidly and can establish themselves in your yard and even in dark parts of your house. Maybe this is not the spider you have, though. They typically live in warmer areas.
